1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a device for transferring a flowable substance from one container to another container, and particularly to a device for filling a bottle, and the like, by transfer of the contents remaining in one or more partly empty bottles.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is a common practice in establishments, such as restaurants, coffee shops, and the like, which serve catsup and other condiments to periodically empty the contents of partially used bottles of such condiments into other partly used bottles. This task, performed at least once daily, results in full bottles being available for the next period of business.
Some purveyors even purchase their condiments in bulk, such as in large cans, and like containers, so as to transfer the condiments to suitable bottles in order to realize a saving in the cost of condiments.
Various devices have been proposed for facilitating the operation of transferring the contents of one or more bottles into a bottle or other suitable container to be filled. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,643,704, issued Feb. 22, 1972, to W. G. Carr, and 3,860,048, issued Jan. 14, 1975, to M. White, disclose examples of devices for such purpose. In the foremost of these two prior patents, the contents of one or more bottles is drained into a reservoir provided with a valve at the bottom thereof so that the contents of the reservoir may be selectively drained into a container disposed beneath the valve. The latter of the aforementioned two prior patents, on the other hand, discloses an arrangement wherein a container to be filled can be placed beneath a single container to be drained, with the transfer operation facilitated by use of a funnel inserted into the neck of the container to be filled. U.S. Pat. No. 3,230,986, issued Jan. 25, 1966, to D. O. Worley, discloses a bottle draining rack which is similar to the device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,860,048, except that the funnel is supported on the rack itself and only a single pair of bottles are to be disposed in the rack at a time, as opposed to a possible plurality of pairs of bottles disposed on the draining rack disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,860,048. U.S. Pat. Nos. 192,348, issued June 26, 1877, to S. M. Preston, and 447,643, issued Mar. 3, 1891, to S. B. Kersey, disclose container content transfer racks employing funnels removably mounted on the rack structure. Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 3,156,272, issued Nov. 10, 1964, to W. G. Indrunas, discloses a bottle coupling device whereby a pair of bottles are coupled together in a vertically opposed relationship so as to permit the contents of the uppermost of the bottles to drain into the lowermost of the connected pair.